Feb. 12, 2006
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State softball team gave undefeated and No. 2 UCLA all they could handle in the final game of the 16th annual Campbell-Cartier Classic on Sunday before a school-record crowd of 876, but fell by a score of 2-1. The Aztecs (3-1) held the Bruins (5-0), who came into the game averaging 13.0 runs per game, to their lowest run total of the year.
SDSU got two of its three hits in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. With one out, sophomore third baseman Taryin Casillas singled to right center field and advanced to second base on a groundout by freshman first baseman Monica Alnes. Sophomore shortstop Allison Smith (2-for-3) followed with a single over the head of UCLA second baseman Caitlin Benyi and Casillas scored.
The Bruins, runner-ups at the 2005 NCAA Women's College World Series, came back to tie the game in the top of the third. Ashley Herrera led off with a single to left field and Tara Henry replaced her as a pinch runner. Henry advanced to second on an Andrea Duran single and scored when Krista Colburn singled into left field. SDSU worked out of one of the many jams it faced on the day when Benyi's line drive bounced off the foot of freshman pitcher Melissa Owens and was caught by Alnes. Alnes then threw the ball to second baseman Chrissie Markham for the double play, ending UCLA's rally.
Aztec sophomore Christina Ross (1-1) relieved Owens in the fourth and pitched two innings of two-hit ball before the Bruins got to Ross with a leadoff single in the sixth by Emily Zaplatosch and a Jodie Legaspi double, putting runners on second and third. SDSU senior Celena Velasquez came into pitch for Ross and almost got out the jam. Velasquez stuck out Lisa Dodd, but allowed an RBI single to Whitney Holum, giving UCLA the 2-1 edge. After a groundout and a walk, Velasquez forced Duran to fly out to short center field to keep the Aztecs within one run.
However, SDSU would get no closer as Bruin reliever Anjelica Selden (3-0) stuck out three Aztecs in the seventh to preserve the victory.
Owens, making her first collegiate start, gave up three hits and one run in three innings, while striking out four. Ross pitched two innings (four hits, one run) and Velasquez tossed the final two (three hits, two strikeouts) for the Aztecs.
SDSU will host city-rival San Diego at 6 p.m. Wednesday at SDSU Softball Stadium.